One of the key moments in the Japanese creation myth is when the heavenly deities order Izanagi and Izanami to “descend to the nebulous place, and by helping each other, to consolidate it into terra firma.” What does this tell us about Japanese culture?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

According to the Kojiki, the islands that constitute Japan were formed by two kami, or gods—Izanagi and his consort Izanami. Among their offspring was the sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, from whom the Japanese imperial line later claimed to have descended. In other words, Japanese emperors could claim not merely to have been put in position by the gods; they could claim to be direct descendants of the gods, and hence divine themselves. In addition, it shows that Japan, its people, and its culture are products of divine action and intervention. From this, one could infer that Japanese culture would be considered higher and more refined than other cultures that were simply products of human invention.